Motor heater



Dec. 2, 1930. G..W. HoKlNs MOTOR HEATER Filed Sept. 11, 1928 INVENTORATTORNEYS 19 vehicle during Patented Dec. 2, 1930 UNITED STATES MOTORApplication filed September This invention relates to a heatingapparatus and more particularly'to an apparatus adapted to heat theengine of a motor vehicle during cold weather preparatory tostarting theengine.

An-object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus of thecharacter referred to which will quickly, safely and economically warm,the engine of a motor starting. l

With the objects above indicated and other objects hereinafter.explained in view, the invention consists in the relationship ofthe elements embodied in" the apparatus as willbe more fully. described andclaimed.

Referring to the drawings Fig. I is a diagrammatic view of the apparatusembodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the mercury switch employed in theapparatus showing the switch in its extreme high and low positions. 1

In the drawings, represents a motor vehicle, a fragmentary portion ofwhich is herein illustrated having at its forward end a radiator 11'connected in the usual manner to the engine 11 which is partly shown,and at the lower portion of the radiator 11 is a pet cook 12 for thepurpose of drainingthewater from the circulating system. The upperportion ofthe radiator 11 is provided with a water inlet 13 whichreceives the usual radiator cap, in this instance the latter beingremoved.

The apparatus, of course, is preferably located within a garage or likestructure and may be suitably supported upon the walls of the structure,although it is not thought neces sary to herein illustrate the garage orsimilar structure. However, the floor of the garage is indicated by 14:upon which the motor vehicle may rest. A metal drainage pan '15, of anysuitable size, is supported by the floor 14 and extends downwardly andrearwardly communicating with a sump 16, of any desired size, which isadapted to receive the water or non-freezing solution contained withinthe circulating system of the engine, after it is drained out throughthe pet cock 12, the flow coldweather preparatory to PATENT OFFICEfenonen w. 'HorKINs,

or oLEvEnANn, OHIO HEATER.

11, 1328. Serial No. 305,290. a

of liquid from the pet cock 12 contacting with the drainage pan 15 andrunning down the declined surface into thesump 16. i

'A'hot water storage tank 17, of any desired capacity, is suitablysupported at a height so that the under side of the storage tank isabove the water inlet 13 of the radiator 11. The water or other solutionwithin the storage tank 17 is heated by means of water heaters 18disposed upon opposite sides offthe storage tank, as clearly shown inFig. 1, and comprise vertically arranged water coils 19, the upper ends20 being connected through the pipe connections 21 to the storage tank17 below the normal level of the water or other liquid within thestorage tank. The lower ends 22 of the water coils 19 are also connectedto the lower portion of the storage tank 17 by suitable pipe connections23. These water coils 19 are enclosed in suitable casings 24 with flues25 connected to the upper portions thereofthrough which products ofcombustion may pass to the atmosphere. Thelower ends of the casings 24are open and disposed therein, directly beneath the water coils 19, aregas burners 26 for the purpose of heating the coils and the watercontained therein. It will be noted, inasmuch as the level of the waterwithin the storage tank 17 is maintained above the upperends 20 of thecoils 19, that upon applying heat from the burners 26 to the coils acontinuous circulation is set up, the colder water passing from thestorage tank 17 through the lower ends 22 into the water coils 19 andsubsequently through the upper ends 20of'the coils 19 andback into thestorage tank 17.

The burners 26 are connected together by a gas pipe 27 having disposedtherein, between the burners 26, a thermostatic control valve 28 of anystandard construction. the details of which are not herein illustrated.EX- tending upwardly from the thermostatic control valve 28 and into theliquid withinthe storage tank 17 is a thermostat 29 adapted to act uponthe valve 28 and maintain the liquid within the storage tank 17 at anypredetermined temperature. Gas is supplied to the :burners 26 through agas supply pipe 29 connected to any suitable source ofsupply,

the low being controlled by a manually-operated valve 39 in the gassupply line. This gas supply line 29 is connected to the gas pipes 21'by a branch pipe 31 connected through the thermostatic control valve 28.lt will, therefore, be noted that the thermostatic control valve 28 maybe predeterminately set so as to maintain the water or liquid 'ithin thestore tank 17 at any desired tem perature. v

The storage tank 17 is provided at its lower portion with a fitting 32through which extends an overflow pipe 33 extending vertically throughthe storage tank 17 and terminating adjacent the normal level of thewater within the storage tank. Therefore, as the water or liquid withinthe storage tank 1'? rises above the end of the overflow pipe 33 itpasses downwardly through the pipe 33 by gravity and out through,preferably, a rubber hose having one end connected with the pipe 33while the free end is adapted to be positioned within the water inlet 13of the radiator 11. Therefore, the heated water or solution within thetank 17, rising above the overflow pipe 33, is caused to pass downwardlytherethrough and into the radiator 11 and through the circulating systemof the engine of the motor vehicle and subsequently out through the petcook 12 into the drainage pan 15.

It is, of course, desirable to return the water or liquid drawn from thecirculating system of the engine, and any suitable pumping appa 'atusmay be employed for this purpose, although the following is thepreferable arrangement.

A pump is supported upon the floor 14 or any other suitable structure,and has its inlet end communicating, by a pipe with the water or liquidwithin the sump 16, while the outlet of the pump connected, by asuitable pipe 37, with the storage tank 17 through a suitable connection33 in the under side of the storage tank. This pipe 37 extends upwardlywithin the storage tank and is bent in the term of an inverted U withthe loop substantially above the normal level of the water or liquidwithin the storage tank and subsequently extends back downwardly withinthe liquid to a point adjacent the lower portion 01 the storage tank, asclearly shown in Fig. 1. A motor 39 is suitably supported as upon thefloor 14 and is connected to the pump 35 to thereby actuate the latter.fhen this pump is in operation the water or liquid within the sump 1b isdrawn tl'irough the pipe 33, passes through the pump 35, thr 1 thepiping 37 and empties the water or liqu in into the storage tank 17adjacent the lower edge thereof, the water within the sump 16 beingpumped into the storage tank 17 so long as any water remains within thesump 16.

The current for the motor 39 is supplied from main line conductors 40and 41 across which there is connected. a main line switch 42 which maybe manually operated to break the circuit. 42 is connected to a terminal44 of a mercury switch 45, while the terminal 46 of the switch isconnected by a conductor 47 with one terminal of the motor 39. The otherterminal of the motor 39 is connected by a conductor 48 with the otherside of the main line switch 42.

The mercury switch is provided with an extension 49 having an opening atthe end within which a rod 50 is slidably disposed. The upper end of therod 50 is provided with a stop 51 positioned above the extension 49 andwith a stop 52 positioned below the ex tension 49, while the lower endof the rod is connected to a float 53 adapted to rest upon the water orliquid within the sump 16. The motor is adapted to operate the pump 35and thereby pump the water from the sump 16 Fig. 2, thereby breaking thecurrent to the a motor and discontinuing the operation of the pump 35.The same is equally true where the water or liquid within the sump 16rises to a point above a predetermined level in which instance the lowerstop 52 engages with the extension 49 of the mercury switch 45,cansingthe latter to be moved upwardly about the axis of the pivot 54and assume the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, the mercuryassuming the position indicated therein which would break the circuit tothe motor 39 and consequently cut off the operation of the pump 35.

It is to be understood that in cold weather the engines of motorvehicles, the latter of which are not kept in heated garages, becomevery cold and are exceptionally difficult to start, resulting in therunning down of the battery and loss of considerable time and poorcombustion. lVith the apparatus described these objections may beavoided. The water or other liquid within the circulating system of theengine may be drained oii through the pet cock 12 into the drainage pan15 where it will run into the sump 16, there by removing the water fromthe circulating system. The burners 26 may be lighted in order to heatthe water within the storage tank 17, in the manner already described,and the thermostatic control valve 28 predeterminately set in order tomaintain the water within the storage tank at the desired temperature.With the main switch 42 thrown to closed position the motor 39 willactuate the pump 35 and consequently draw the $0111- A conductor 43 fromthe switch tion in the sump 16 through the pump and force the samethrough the pipe 37 into the storage tank 17 The level of the water orother liquid therein having been raised above the overflow pipe 33 aquantity runs downwardly through the pipe and out through the hose 34,the end of which has beenprevlously placed within the water inlet 13 ofthe radiator 11. The hot water, therefore, running into the water inlet13 from the hose 84 passes throughthe circulating system of the engineand the radiator 11 and efficiently and quickly heats the motor block,subsequently running out through the pet cock l2 and back into thedrainage pan 15. After this circulation of heated water has taken placefor a couple of minutes the gas may be shut OE and the main switchopened to thereby stop the operation of the apparatus. It will be found4 that this heated water has heated the motor block considerably, and asa result the engine is very easily started. While I have described thepreferred embodiment of the invention it is to beunderstood that I amnot to be limited thereto as changes and modifications may beresorted towithout departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in theappended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I

. claim:

1. In a heating apparatus of the character described, the combinationwit-h the water.

circulating system of a motor vehicle, of

means adapted to receive the liquid drained off from said system, aliquid, storage recep-.

tacle, means for transferring said drained off liquid to saidstoragereceptacle, means for heating the'llquid in said-receptacle, and

means for conveying heated liquid from said receptacle to saidcirculating system.

, 2. In a heating apparatus of the character described, the combinationwith the water circulating system of a motor vehicle, of a receptacleadapted to receive the liquid drained off from said system, a liquidstorage.

tank, pumping means for transferring said drained off liquid'fromsaid'receptacle to said storage tank, means for heating the liquid insaid tank, and means for conveying heated liquid from said tank to saidcirculating system.

3. In a heating apparatus of the character described, the combinationwith the water circulating system. of a motor vehicle, of means adaptedto receive the liquid drained off from said system, a liquid storagereceptacle adapted to contain liquid, means for transferring saiddrained ofi? liquid to said storage receptacle, means for heating the-liquid in said receptacle, and an overflow pipe for conveying heatedliquid from said receptacle to said circulating system.

4. In a heating apparatus of the character described, the combinationwith the water circulating system of a motor vehlcle, of a sump adaptedto receive the liquid drained off from said system, a liquid storagetank adapted to contain liquid, means for pump ingsaid drained offliquid from said sump to said storage tank, heating means associated'with the tank adapted to heat the liquid in, said tank, and means forconveying the overflow of heated liquid from said tank to saidcirculating system.

5.- In a heating apparatus of the character described, the combinationwith the water circulating system of a motor vehicle, of-a sump adaptedto receive the liquid drained off from said sytsem, a liquid storagetank, a pump for transferring said drained off liquid to said storagetank, a motor for operating said pump, control means for said motoractuated by the liquid in said sump, means for heating the liquid insaid tank, and means for conveying heated liquid from said tank to saidcirculating system.

6. In a heating apparatus of the character described, the combinationwith the water circulating system of a motor vehicle, of a sump adaptedto receive the liquid drained off from said system, a liquid storagetank, a pump for transferringsaid drained off liquid to said storagetank, a motor foractuating said pump, a switch associated with saidmotor, a float associated with the liquid in said sump and with saidswitch whereby said motor is stopped when said liquid reaches certainlimits, means for heating the liquid in said tank, and means forconveying heated liquid from said tank to said circulating system.

7 In a heating apparatus of the character described, the combinationwith the water circulating system of a motor vehicle, of means adaptedto receive the liquid drained ofi from said system, a liquid storagetank, means for transferring said drained efi' liquid to said storagetank, means for heating the liquid in said tank, means for maintainingthe liquid in said tank a predetermined temperature, and means forconveying the overflow of heated liquid from said tank to saidcirculating system.

8. In a heating appartus of the character described, the combinationwith the water circulatingv system of a motor vehicle, of means adaptedto receive the liquid drained off from said system, a liquid storagereceptacle, means for forcibly transferring s id coils associatedwith'said sterage receptacle,

-means for heating said coils to thereby heat the liquid in saidreceptacle, and means for conveying heated liquid from said receptacleto said circulating system.

9. In a heating apparatus of the character described, the combinationwith the water circulating system of a motor vehicle, of a receptacleadapted to receive the liquid drained off from said system, a liquidstorage tank adapted to contain a predetermined quantity of liquid, apump for transfer 'ing said drained of? liquid from said receptacle tosaid storage tank an electric motor for actuating said pump, a switchassociated with said motor, a float for actuating said switch associatedwith the liquid in said receptacle, means for heating the liquid in saidtank, a thermostat associated with said tank for maintaining the liquidat a predetermined temperature, and means for conveying the overflow ofheated liquid from said tank to said circulating system.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto ai'fix my signature.

GEORGE N. HOPKINS.

